ACCORDING to a study, following a diet that mimics intermittent fasting could help limit the proliferation of proteins in the brain leading to dementia.


What if following a strict diet could limit the onset of symptoms related to Alzheimer's disease? So suggest the findings of a new US study conducted by researchers at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and published in the journal, Cell Reports.

In this study, conducted on mice, researchers noted that following cycles of a diet that mimics fasting limited the level of two proteins: amyloid-beta and hyperphosphorylated tau protein. These two proteins cause disturbances in cognitive functions and lead to dementia. They are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

To carry out their research, the scientists subjected mice, genetically modified to develop Alzheimer's disease, to two types of diet. The first category followed a diet called the "Fasting Mimicking Diet" (FMD). This diet is low in calories, protein and carbohydrates.

On the other hand, it is rich in unsaturated fat, i.e., healthy fats. The diet is designed to mimic the effects of a water-only fast while still providing the body with necessary nutrients. This diet was followed for four to five days in a row, twice a month, over a period of 15 months.

Between these cycles, the mice were fed a regular diet. The second group was given a normal diet.

Mice that followed an FMD diet showed a significant decrease in amyloid-beta, a substance found in the neurons with certain neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. The same is true for hyperphosphorylated tau, a protein involved in metabolic disorders.

A phase 1 clinical trial has also been conducted with 40 otherwise healthy volunteers suffering from mild cognitive disorders or Alzheimer's disease.

The patients were randomly allocated a once-monthly, five-day fasting-mimicking diet or a five-day period in which lunch or dinner was replaced with a meal based on pasta or rice. The experts say that the effects of this experiment appear to be beneficial. However, more tests need to be done.